Inside an unowned grotto-heaven, an old man with a face full of wrinkles abruptly stood up upon hearing the news brought by his subordinate, a terrifying aura sweeping through every inch of space.
"What?! Poxiao was captured?!"
Seeing Lord Imperial Preceptor's wrath, the subordinate braved himself and said, "Yes, Venerable Poxiao was captured by Great Xia. Several brothers hiding in Dingxin City have lost contact; it is very likely they were captured as well."
Venerable Poxiao was a vital combat asset for Great Yu's revival, a blade meant to carve into Great Xia. Who could have expected that before slicing off a single piece of Great Xia's flesh, he would be captured by them instead?
Damn it!
"I've seen the Rules of Dingxin City—they are indestructible. Outsiders have no way of knowing what happens inside Dingxin City, so Great Xia should never have reacted in time. Tell me in detail everything you've learned. How was Poxiao discovered?"
The news had come so suddenly that the subordinate had barely managed to gather any details in haste.
"Venerable Poxiao was discovered by Daoist Buyu, the Sect Master of the Dao Seeking Sect."
"Daoist Buyu?"
As the leader of one of the Five Great Immortal Sects, the Imperial Preceptor had kept an eye on Daoist Buyu. The man's movements were erratic and bizarre, and the Imperial Preceptor had never been able to fathom his intentions. He was an elusive and difficult cultivator to deal with.
"Lord Imperial Preceptor?" Seeing the Imperial Preceptor muttering to himself, the subordinate paused.
"It's nothing. Continue."
"By some unknown means, Daoist Buyu discovered something amiss with Dingxin City and entered alone. Because Daoist Buyu is only at the Body Integration stage, Venerable Poxiao didn't pay him much mind. For several days straight, Daoist Buyu did nothing more than tell stories in a teahouse, making no other moves.
"Yet somehow, an origami crane slipped into the rule canopy erected by Venerable Poxiao, creating a tear in it. Only then did Daoist Buyu find an opening to exploit.
"Daoist Buyu unleashed Sword Opens Heaven's Gate, splitting open the canopy and engaging Venerable Poxiao in combat. The two fought fiercely to a deadlock, but Venerable Poxiao's superior skills eventually won out and defeated Daoist Buyu. Just as the Venerable was about to kill Daoist Buyu, one of the Nine Palaces of the Luoshui Guards arrived and thwarted him.
"The Venerable could originally have escaped, but unfortunately, more than one person arrived—there was another Tribulation Transcendence expert, as well as over thirty Body Integration cultivators from the Five Great Immortal Sects and a dozen or so from the imperial court."
The Imperial Preceptor sighed and raised a hand, gesturing for him to stop. What followed could easily be guessed without saying.
With such an overwhelming number of cultivators taking action, it was utterly impossible for Poxiao to escape—even committing suicide would have been difficult.
The subordinate fumed indignantly, "If not for all those people rushing over, the Venerable definitely could have gotten away!"
The Imperial Preceptor shook his head. The matter was far from that simple. He calmly analyzed the causes and consequences of the incident.
"There are three suspicious points in this matter.
"First, why did Daoist Buyu enter Dingxin City? Was it truly a coincidence?
"Second, how did an origami crane penetrate the canopy and tear a hole in it? Who folded that paper crane, and what was their cultivation level?
"Third, the people from the imperial court and the immortal sects happened to appear in Jizhou at that exact moment. Was it a coincidence, or premeditated?
"If you think carefully, these three suspicious points can all be linked together."
In front of the Imperial Preceptor, the subordinate had been timid and servile, unable to lift his head. But in reality, he was a dignified old Body Integration monster, a legendary powerhouse who had once shaken heaven and earth during the early days of Great Yu, endowed with exceptional wit. He had merely been stunned by the sudden news; now, prompted by the Imperial Preceptor, he caught on.
Following the Imperial Preceptor's line of thought, the subordinate analyzed: "Before Daoist Buyu entered Dingxin City, he had already discovered something amiss. He contacted the imperial court in advance, having them lie in ambush in the vicinity, while he entered Dingxin City alone to scout the situation. The two sides even agreed that if there was no news within a few days, those outside the city would use an origami crane to breach the canopy.
"A few days later, the origami crane breached the canopy, kicking off the battle!"
The Imperial Preceptor nodded. His subordinate was sharp enough to think along similar lines. He added a few points of his own:
"A paper crane like that doesn't seem like something a Tribulation Transcendence cultivator could pull off. It should be the handiwork of a half-immortal."
The Imperial Preceptor tapped his chair, a trace of relief showing on his face. "At the time, there must have been a half-immortal presiding over Dingxin City! One half-immortal, two Tribulation Transcendence cultivators, and over forty Body Integration cultivators—was such a lineup gathered just to catch Poxiao? No! They came to catch me!"
The Imperial Preceptor continued, "I once studied Daoist Buyu and found his conduct tricky, bizarre, and impossible to predict. As a sect master, why would he neglect the Dao Seeking Sect to travel all over the place and tell stories? Is that something a Body Integration cultivator and sect master would do?"
The subordinate nodded. He too was a Body Integration cultivator and the master of a sect; he would never do such a thing.
"Only through this incident have I finally understood his purpose!
"He pretended to roam about telling stories, but in truth, he was hunting for our tracks!"
Hearing the Imperial Preceptor's explanation, the subordinate suddenly saw the light. The Imperial Preceptor's wisdom truly was beyond his reach.
"So that's how it was!"
"This Daoist Buyu—no, not just Daoist Buyu, the entire Dao Seeking Sect—is an obstacle to Great Yu's restoration!
"Venerable Calamity was captured by people from the Dao Seeking Sect at the Qingzhou Grand Ceremony.
"Huang Ming, planted inside the Corpse Driving Sect, had his identity exposed by a Dao Seeking Sect disciple, forcing His Majesty to act ahead of schedule. The plan failed, and the three of them remain out of contact to this day!
"Now Daoist Buyu is scouring the realm for our whereabouts.
"Every step of our plans has been thwarted by the Dao Seeking Sect. Once or twice might be called a coincidence, but three times? That means the destiny of the Dao Seeking Sect stands directly in the way of Great Yu's rise!
"The Dao Seeking Sect has a history of a hundred and twenty thousand years, founded during our Great Yu Dynasty, yet now it opposes our Great Yu at every turn. Truly ungrateful wretches who don't know what's good for them!
"Did they think that by throwing their lot in with the imperial court and forming the so-called Five Great Immortal Sects, they could preserve their lives?!"
Murderous intent flashed in the Imperial Preceptor's eyes, sending a shiver through the subordinate.
The last time the Imperial Preceptor had shown such a look was a hundred and eighty thousand years ago. Back then, the Imperial Preceptor had been in seclusion, and most Tribulation Transcendence cultivators had entered deep slumber to await the arrival of the Golden Age.
Six Tribulation Transcendence cultivators had seized the opportunity to join forces, driven by wild ambition and treacherous designs, dreaming of overthrowing the dynasty.
When six Tribulation Transcendence experts joined forces, the heavens and earth changed color. Who could possibly oppose them? City after city fell, the rebel army unstoppable and advancing with triumphant momentum, until even the imperial city was breached.
Right at that moment, the Imperial Preceptor emerged from seclusion, fighting one against six and completely dominating the battle. In the end, he slaughtered all six Tribulation Transcendence cultivators one by one and buried a million rebel soldiers alive. Above the Central Continent, clouds of blood did not disperse for three days.
Was Lord Imperial Preceptor going to move against the Dao Seeking Sect this time?
The subordinate clenched his fists in excitement. It was time to let the Dao Seeking Sect taste Great Yu's fury!
Even six Tribulation Transcendence experts had been no match for Lord Imperial Preceptor—could a mere Dao Seeking Sect withstand his wrath?
The Imperial Preceptor slowly rose, like a primordial behemoth waking from slumber, ready to roar across heaven and earth, shatter the void, and show the world the terrifying might and majesty of a great beast.
His voice was resolute as he ordered his subordinate: "Gather everyone and prepare to move!"
The subordinate looked at Lord Imperial Preceptor with excitement. "Are we going to strike at the Dao Seeking Sect?"
The Imperial Preceptor looked at him as if looking at an idiot. "With Poxiao captured, the location of this grotto-heaven will definitely become known to Great Xia. Naturally, we need to relocate."
The subordinate: "..."
Chapter 465